Kobold Exploration Files New Permit Applications as DRC Mining Cadastre Reopens
Kobold Exploration Submits New Mining Permit Requests Following CAMI Reopening in DRC
One day after the reopening of its application counter on February 3, 2026, the Mining Cadastre (CAMI) received five new applications for exploration permits from Kobold Exploration DRC SA.
The filings mark a new step in the implementation of the agreement signed on July 18, 2025, between the company and the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
CAMI confirmed that the applications are part of the ongoing partnership framework. On this occasion, Kobold Exploration DRC SA’s Managing Director, Benjamin Katabuka, accompanied by his delegation, met with CAMI Deputy Director General Jacques Muyumba Ndubula.
Their discussions focused on the progress of ongoing activities and the procedures for processing the newly submitted permit applications.
The mining application office had been closed for nearly two months and officially reopened on February 2, 2026. CAMI said the temporary suspension was necessary to clean and update the national mining cadastre database, as part of efforts to strengthen transparency and governance in the sector.
Previously, on September 2, 2025, CAMI formally handed over seven digitized exploration certificates to Kobold Metals during a ceremony in Kinshasa.
Congolese authorities described the move as a key milestone in the formalization and modernization of the exploration permitting process.
Minister of Mines Louis Watum said the partnership reflects the government’s vision of promoting responsible, innovative and value-creating mining grounded in good governance and aligned with national development priorities.
Benjamin Katabuka, for his part, reaffirmed Kobold’s commitment to contributing to the DRC’s socio-economic development, citing investments amounting to several tens of millions of dollars, part of which has already been paid in permit-related fees.
The agreement between the DRC and Kobold Metals, signed in July 2025 in the presence of President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi, is designed to attract U.S. investment into the Congolese mining sector and position the country as a key player in global strategic mineral supply chains.
The partnership rests on several pillars, including the digitization of largely untapped geological data to improve transparency and investor confidence, and the use of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of mineral exploration.
It also includes the development of the Manono lithium project in Tanganyika Province, regarded as one of the world’s most significant lithium deposits for the energy transition.
